ESA lays out roadmap to Vega-C and Ariane 6 flights, dated October 29Ariane 6ESA, CNES and ArianeGroup have jointly established a consolidated reference planning for Ariane 6 development and are working as an integrated team in their respective roles to make it happen. This schedule is based on analysis of recent achievements, remaining critical milestones and the impact on the programme caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.<snip>When all these steps are successfully completed Ariane 6 will be in a position to perform its maiden flight in the second quarter of 2022.
https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1442928296073711616QuoteFrance's space agency @CNES turns over to @ESA the @Ariane6 launch pad after 8 yrs & >$700M; 2 yrs late & over budget, but on track relative to ESA's updated plan a yr ago. Goal now: Launch in Q3 2022. @ArianeGroup @Arianespace. bit.ly/3ieK5gn
France's space agency @CNES turns over to @ESA the @Ariane6 launch pad after 8 yrs & >$700M; 2 yrs late & over budget, but on track relative to ESA's updated plan a yr ago. Goal now: Launch in Q3 2022. @ArianeGroup @Arianespace. bit.ly/3ieK5gn
As per this schedule (I'm not sure how up to date it is), the first of Vega-C is planned for March 2022, JUICE in Q3 2022, Ariane 6 first flight in Q3/4 2022, MTG-I1 in Q4 2022, and Euclid in Q1 2023.https://twitter.com/AschbacherJosef/status/1452582751010439178
https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1479071607956119556?s=20Quote from: Chris GStéphane Israël (@arianespaceceo) notes up to 17 @Arianespace launches in 2022, with:- 4 of the 5 Ariane 5s (only JUICE will remain)- 9 Soyuz launches (4 from Guiana + 5 from Baikonur)- 1 Ariane 6 flights (1st NET 2nd half 2022)- 3 Vega-C missions (1st NET April 2022)
Stéphane Israël (@arianespaceceo) notes up to 17 @Arianespace launches in 2022, with:- 4 of the 5 Ariane 5s (only JUICE will remain)- 9 Soyuz launches (4 from Guiana + 5 from Baikonur)- 1 Ariane 6 flights (1st NET 2nd half 2022)- 3 Vega-C missions (1st NET April 2022)
Could the first Ariane 6 launch be a rideshare mission?https://twitter.com/Ariane6/status/1456663840691732481Quote from: Ariane 6Call of Opportunity: Fly your payload on first Ariane 6 launch! Make sure to send ESA your notice of interest by Nov 15th [2021].
Call of Opportunity: Fly your payload on first Ariane 6 launch! Make sure to send ESA your notice of interest by Nov 15th [2021].
ESA selects payloads for Ariane 6 first flight11/02/2022ESA in close collaboration with ArianeGroup and Arianespace has selected payloads which best fit the profile of the first mission of its new generation Ariane 6 launch vehicle from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.This selection follows ESA’s announcement of opportunity in November 2021, which offered a launch to low Earth orbit for experiments up to a total mass of 80 kg and release of payloads with a combined mass of up to 800 kg. They will be hosted on a ‘mass dummy’ featuring a large platform, inside the 14 m long version of the fairing on an Ariane 6 fitted with two strap-on boosters (A62 version).This demonstration flight will contribute to the qualification of the Ariane 6 launch system as part of the transition from its highly reliable and successful predecessor, Ariane 5. This launch is an important step in the preparation for future institutional missions planned for Ariane 6, such as Galileo.For this flight, ESA is responsible for operations from the launch campaign to the payload separation, and then disposal of the upper stage through burn-up during reentry.“I’m glad that ESA can use the very first Ariane 6 flight as a platform for launching these fantastic payloads, some of which will enable European start-ups to validate their systems and provide future commercial services. The Ariane 6 inaugural launch is a key step towards full qualification of the Ariane 6 launch system,” said Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Space Transportation.Experiments on boardFour experiments, ranging in mass from 0.15–12 kg, will be fixed to the platform on top of the mass dummy. These experiments will return valuable data up to the end of the mission when the upper stage reenters Earth’s atmosphere.DeployersTwo deployers will be arranged on board and will accommodate CubeSats. The RAMI deployer is built by Spain’s UARX Space, and the ExoPOD is built by ExoLaunch in Germany.With some spaces for CubeSats still available, ESA may add to this collection closer to launch.Ariane 6 is a modular launch vehicle using two or four P120C strap-on boosters to achieve the required performance. The reignitable Vinci engine powers the upper stage which allows Ariane 6 to reach a range of orbits to deliver more payloads on a single launch. The upper stage engine will typically burn one, two or more times to reach the required orbits. After payload separation a final burn deorbits the upper stage to mitigate space debris.Ariane 6 is a project managed and funded by the European Space Agency. ArianeGroup is design authority and industrial prime contractor for the launcher system. The French space agency CNES is prime contractor for the development of the Ariane 6 launch base at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Arianespace is the launch service provider of Ariane 6 launches.https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Ariane/ESA_selects_payloads_for_Ariane_6_first_flight
Vivian Quenet, Arianespace’s managing director and head of sales for the Asia-Pacific region, announced the timetable during a fireside chat at Asia Satellite Business Week in Singapore {on June 1}.“After that one [Ariane 5 launch] {VA257} we will have the maiden flight of the Vega C” in {the} first week of July, Quenet said, and then “towards the end of the year, we have the maiden flight of Ariane 6, which is our heavy launcher which will replace Ariane 5.”
SN, Ariane 6 launch debut pushed into 2023, June 13QuoteEuropean Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said June 13...Ariane 6 is set to fly “some time” in 2023 during a BBC interview without giving a reason for the delay.
European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said June 13...Ariane 6 is set to fly “some time” in 2023 during a BBC interview without giving a reason for the delay.
Eric Berger writes:QuoteThe official declined to provide a new, specific launch target for Ariane 6's debut flight. (A separate source has told Ars the working date is no earlier than April 2023). The new launch target is expected to be revealed on July 13 during a joint news conference with European space officials.https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/06/europes-major-new-rocket-the-ariane-6-is-delayed-again/Peter de Selding SpaceIntelReport:QuoteESA official: No single event caused the latest Ariane 6 delay, and it’s unclear who will have to pay for itwritten by Peter B. de Selding June 16, 2022PARIS — The months-long delay in the inaugural flight of Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket, confirmed the week of June 13, came after technical reviews of the vehicle’s upper-stage testing and the launch-sequence software managing the rocket and its launch pad, a European Space Agency (ESA) official said.There was no single event that precipitated the announcement that Ariane 6’s first flight would slip into 2023, with a more-precise estimate to await further review between now and mid-July, the official said.https://www.spaceintelreport.com/esa-official-no-single-event-caused-the-latest-ariane-6-delay-and-its-unclear-who-will-have-to-pay-for-it/
The official declined to provide a new, specific launch target for Ariane 6's debut flight. (A separate source has told Ars the working date is no earlier than April 2023). The new launch target is expected to be revealed on July 13 during a joint news conference with European space officials.
ESA official: No single event caused the latest Ariane 6 delay, and it’s unclear who will have to pay for itwritten by Peter B. de Selding June 16, 2022PARIS — The months-long delay in the inaugural flight of Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket, confirmed the week of June 13, came after technical reviews of the vehicle’s upper-stage testing and the launch-sequence software managing the rocket and its launch pad, a European Space Agency (ESA) official said.There was no single event that precipitated the announcement that Ariane 6’s first flight would slip into 2023, with a more-precise estimate to await further review between now and mid-July, the official said.
As of this post, the only Ariane 5 launch scheduled for 2023 is JUICE; launch window opens April 5. As an interplanetary launch with a limited window, I'm sure launch will be scheduled for April 5, barring an issue with that launch campaign.The Ariane (62) first launch is now, apparently, NET April 2023.Turn-around between CSG launches is approximately a minimum of two weeks.If no commercial Ariane 5 launch is delayed to April 2023 or beyond, then all Ariane 5 launches will occur before the first Ariane 6 launch.The JUICE launch will be VA261.The first Ariane 6 launch will be VA262.And, it's been out in the open since April.Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 04/13/2022 07:08 pmCross-post re: JUICE and last Ariane 5:Quote from: leovinus on 04/12/2022 12:56 amThe Register gets up close and personal with ESA's JUICE spacecraftQuoteAnd JUICE? "We will use the last Ariane 5 before the handover to Ariane 6," says Pham. "It will be launched from Kourou on the fifth of April 2023."Shipment to the launch facility is expected during January 2023.https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/11/esa_juice_visit/?td=rt-3aQuote from: GWR64 on 06/17/2022 12:15 pmEric Berger writes:QuoteThe official declined to provide a new, specific launch target for Ariane 6's debut flight. (A separate source has told Ars the working date is no earlier than April 2023). The new launch target is expected to be revealed on July 13 during a joint news conference with European space officials.https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/06/europes-major-new-rocket-the-ariane-6-is-delayed-again/Peter de Selding SpaceIntelReport:QuoteESA official: No single event caused the latest Ariane 6 delay, and it’s unclear who will have to pay for itwritten by Peter B. de Selding June 16, 2022PARIS — The months-long delay in the inaugural flight of Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket, confirmed the week of June 13, came after technical reviews of the vehicle’s upper-stage testing and the launch-sequence software managing the rocket and its launch pad, a European Space Agency (ESA) official said.There was no single event that precipitated the announcement that Ariane 6’s first flight would slip into 2023, with a more-precise estimate to await further review between now and mid-July, the official said.https://www.spaceintelreport.com/esa-official-no-single-event-caused-the-latest-ariane-6-delay-and-its-unclear-who-will-have-to-pay-for-it/
Cross-post re: JUICE and last Ariane 5:Quote from: leovinus on 04/12/2022 12:56 amThe Register gets up close and personal with ESA's JUICE spacecraftQuoteAnd JUICE? "We will use the last Ariane 5 before the handover to Ariane 6," says Pham. "It will be launched from Kourou on the fifth of April 2023."Shipment to the launch facility is expected during January 2023.https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/11/esa_juice_visit/?td=rt-3a
The Register gets up close and personal with ESA's JUICE spacecraftQuoteAnd JUICE? "We will use the last Ariane 5 before the handover to Ariane 6," says Pham. "It will be launched from Kourou on the fifth of April 2023."Shipment to the launch facility is expected during January 2023.https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/11/esa_juice_visit/?td=rt-3a
And JUICE? "We will use the last Ariane 5 before the handover to Ariane 6," says Pham. "It will be launched from Kourou on the fifth of April 2023."Shipment to the launch facility is expected during January 2023.
What about the payload?Is it possible ESA will risk for a couple of Galileo?
Quelle surprise (not)https://twitter.com/chrisg_nsf/status/1582750512784769031Quote#Ariane6 first flight now expected no earlier than "last quarter 2023" according to ESA, ArianeGroup in update to media just now.(Credit: @brickmack)
#Ariane6 first flight now expected no earlier than "last quarter 2023" according to ESA, ArianeGroup in update to media just now.(Credit: @brickmack)
Bikini is a capsule reentry demonstrator, a forerunner of Nyx. It is produced by The Exploration Company. There is a thread about this organisation in Commercial Space.SpaceCase is another reentry demonstrator, this time for ArianeGroup.The last time Ariane carried a reentry vehicle was afaik (correct me if I am wrong) the 3rd flight of Ariane 5 i.e. Ariane 503 with the ARD.
Two satellites, CURIE A and CURIE B, will be launched aboard the Arianne 6 launch vehicle. Thecurrent launch date is planned for NET October 1, 2023. They will be inserted into a circular orbitat 580 km, on an inclination from the equator of 62 degrees.
The update on Ariane 6 from ESA's Daniel Neuenschwander: there will be an update in late June on the inaugural launch date (currently end of 2023) after upcoming hotfire tests.
Vega C and Ariane 6 2024https://twitter.com/chenryspace/status/1648377695577817110
https://twitter.com/AschbacherJosef/status/1648739532374790144QuoteJosef Aschbacher @AschbacherJosefNever has a PPT caused so much commotion! The slide was merely a condensed timeline graphic - 2024 could have been more to the right, I admit! Vega C Launch plan is still Dec 2023, A6 no date confirmed today. [Apr 19]
Josef Aschbacher @AschbacherJosefNever has a PPT caused so much commotion! The slide was merely a condensed timeline graphic - 2024 could have been more to the right, I admit! Vega C Launch plan is still Dec 2023, A6 no date confirmed today. [Apr 19]
https://twitter.com/SpaceNews_Inc/status/1656761798031179778QuoteSpaceNews @SpaceNews_IncOHB expects first Ariane 6 launch in early 2024https://spacenews.com/ohb-expects-first-ariane-6-launch-in-early-2024/ [May 11]QuoteWASHINGTON — A key Ariane 6 supplier expects the rocket to make its first launch within a year, but ruled out any chance the vehicle could fly before the end of 2023.In a May 10 earnings call, executives with German aerospace company OHB predicted that the rocket will make its long-delayed debut within the first several months of 2024, the strongest indication yet by those involved with the rocket’s development that it will not be ready for launch before the end of this year.“It’s not yet launched, but we hope that it will launch in the early part of next year,” said Marco Fuchs, chief executive of OHB, of Ariane 6 during a presentation about the company’s first quarter financial results. A subsidiary of OHB, MT Aerospace, produces tanks and structures for the rocket.
SpaceNews @SpaceNews_IncOHB expects first Ariane 6 launch in early 2024https://spacenews.com/ohb-expects-first-ariane-6-launch-in-early-2024/ [May 11]
WASHINGTON — A key Ariane 6 supplier expects the rocket to make its first launch within a year, but ruled out any chance the vehicle could fly before the end of 2023.In a May 10 earnings call, executives with German aerospace company OHB predicted that the rocket will make its long-delayed debut within the first several months of 2024, the strongest indication yet by those involved with the rocket’s development that it will not be ready for launch before the end of this year.“It’s not yet launched, but we hope that it will launch in the early part of next year,” said Marco Fuchs, chief executive of OHB, of Ariane 6 during a presentation about the company’s first quarter financial results. A subsidiary of OHB, MT Aerospace, produces tanks and structures for the rocket.
With Ariane 5 heading to retirement, its replacement - Ariane 6 - still has a while to go until it's ready to take over.https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/05/ariane-6-update/ - by Bella Richards (@bellaa_richards)
https://twitter.com/pbdes/status/1668191794062938118QuotePeter B. de Selding @pbdesAriane 6 progress report: Autumn test firing of 2d stage by @DLR_de added to schedule. Assembly of inaugural-flight vehicle to start in November. @esa @CNES @ArianeGroup @Arianespace .https://bit.ly/43OrkWehttps://www.spaceintelreport.com/ariane-6-autumn-test-firing-of-upper-stage-added-to-schedule-assembly-of-1st-flight-vehicle-to-start-in-november/QuoteAriane 6: Autumn test firing of upper stage added to schedule; assembly of 1st flight vehicle to start in Novemberwritten by Peter B. de Selding June 12, 2023PARIS — Government and industry managers of Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket have added an additional test firing of the vehicle’s upper stage, to occur in the autumn, but otherwise reported apparently nominal progress on the vehicle’s development.The final Ariane 5 mission is scheduled this month. The successor rocket, Ariane 6, is about two years behind schedule. Its inaugural flight, from Europe’s Guiana Space Center spaceport in South America, is likely to occur in the first half of 2024.
Peter B. de Selding @pbdesAriane 6 progress report: Autumn test firing of 2d stage by @DLR_de added to schedule. Assembly of inaugural-flight vehicle to start in November. @esa @CNES @ArianeGroup @Arianespace .https://bit.ly/43OrkWe
Ariane 6: Autumn test firing of upper stage added to schedule; assembly of 1st flight vehicle to start in Novemberwritten by Peter B. de Selding June 12, 2023PARIS — Government and industry managers of Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket have added an additional test firing of the vehicle’s upper stage, to occur in the autumn, but otherwise reported apparently nominal progress on the vehicle’s development.The final Ariane 5 mission is scheduled this month. The successor rocket, Ariane 6, is about two years behind schedule. Its inaugural flight, from Europe’s Guiana Space Center spaceport in South America, is likely to occur in the first half of 2024.
https://twitter.com/astro_danyboy/status/1670727850926698496QuoteBREAKINGTake-off of Ariane 6 in 2024: this is what Philippe Baptiste (DG CNES) has just announced at @EmmanuelMacron at @salondubourget.
BREAKINGTake-off of Ariane 6 in 2024: this is what Philippe Baptiste (DG CNES) has just announced at @EmmanuelMacron at @salondubourget.
https://www.lagazettedemontpellier.fr/live/63d29de2e052d11c64e54e3b/le-centre-spatial-universitaire-de-montpellierLe Centre spatial universitaire de Montpellier cherche des candidats, January 26, by Marie DeghettoGoogle tanslate:QuotePredicting episodes in the Cévennes, detecting plastics that pollute the oceans, anticipating droughts,... the very concrete projects of the CSUM nanosatellites are numerous. The next to be sent into space will be Robusta-3A Méditerranée, which is due to take Ariane 6's maiden flight at the end of 2023.
Predicting episodes in the Cévennes, detecting plastics that pollute the oceans, anticipating droughts,... the very concrete projects of the CSUM nanosatellites are numerous. The next to be sent into space will be Robusta-3A Méditerranée, which is due to take Ariane 6's maiden flight at the end of 2023.
SN ESA confirms Ariane 6 debut to slip to 2024, August 9, by Jeff FoustQuoteFollowing those tests, ESA said there will be a long-duration static-fire test of the Vulcain 2.1 engine at the Kourou spaceport, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 26. Only after that test, the agency said, will it be ready to announce a launch date for the inaugural Ariane 5.“However,” the ESA statement added, “the inaugural flight is now scheduled for 2024.”The slip of the Ariane 6 debut to 2024 was widely anticipated. In an earnings call in May, executives with OHB, the German company that is a supplier to the Ariane 6, said they expected the rocket to make its first launch “early next year” but not before.That first Ariane 6 launch will carry a number of smallsat payloads, including a NASA-supported cubesat called Cubesat Radio Interferometry Experiment, or CURIE. A chart presented at a NASA smallsat town hall meeting during the 37th Annual Small Satellite Conference here Aug. 7 stated that CURIE would launch on an Ariane 6 no earlier than April 1, 2024....Those issues led ESA to procure Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX for its Euclid space telescope, which successfully launched July 1, and the Hera asteroid mission in 2024. ESA also plans to acquire a Falcon 9 for its EarthCARE Earth science mission in 2024. ESA and the European Commission are weighing the use of Falcon 9 to launch Galileo navigation satellites.
Following those tests, ESA said there will be a long-duration static-fire test of the Vulcain 2.1 engine at the Kourou spaceport, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 26. Only after that test, the agency said, will it be ready to announce a launch date for the inaugural Ariane 5.“However,” the ESA statement added, “the inaugural flight is now scheduled for 2024.”The slip of the Ariane 6 debut to 2024 was widely anticipated. In an earnings call in May, executives with OHB, the German company that is a supplier to the Ariane 6, said they expected the rocket to make its first launch “early next year” but not before.That first Ariane 6 launch will carry a number of smallsat payloads, including a NASA-supported cubesat called Cubesat Radio Interferometry Experiment, or CURIE. A chart presented at a NASA smallsat town hall meeting during the 37th Annual Small Satellite Conference here Aug. 7 stated that CURIE would launch on an Ariane 6 no earlier than April 1, 2024....Those issues led ESA to procure Falcon 9 launches from SpaceX for its Euclid space telescope, which successfully launched July 1, and the Hera asteroid mission in 2024. ESA also plans to acquire a Falcon 9 for its EarthCARE Earth science mission in 2024. ESA and the European Commission are weighing the use of Falcon 9 to launch Galileo navigation satellites.
Forbes Ireland’s First Satellite Will Capture High Energy Cosmic Bursts, August 16, by Bruce DormineyQuoteIreland’s first-ever satellite EIRSAT-1, a gamma-ray burst hunting CubeSat, should see launch into low-Earth orbit later this year. Designed and manufactured by Ireland’s University College Dublin (UCD), the mission (with costs on the order of a few million euro)* will see launch atop a multi-payload Ariane rocket provided by the European Space Agency (ESA).
Ireland’s first-ever satellite EIRSAT-1, a gamma-ray burst hunting CubeSat, should see launch into low-Earth orbit later this year. Designed and manufactured by Ireland’s University College Dublin (UCD), the mission (with costs on the order of a few million euro)* will see launch atop a multi-payload Ariane rocket provided by the European Space Agency (ESA).
